Almost half of U.S. consumers think 4G LTE is unnecessary

There is no question that 4G LTE is the future of mobile data. Among the four major U.S. carriers, Verizon (VZ) and AT&T’s (T) 4G LTE networks cover a majority of Americans, while T-Mobile and Sprint (S) are in the process of developing and rolling out their own high-speed LTE networks. Even though most high-end and mid-range smartphones being sold today in the U.S. offer the technology, a shocking number of consumers aren’t interested in it. Piper Jaffray (PJC) analyst Christopher M. Larsen revealed, per AppleInsider, that according to a survey of 3,000 U.S. consumers, 46.8% of individuals feel they don’t need 4G LTE, while 25.7% believe all 4G technology is the same — which it isn’t. When asked about Apple’s (AAPL) next-generation iPhone, which is rumored to be equipped with the technology, 55% of those surveyed were considering purchasing it and 44% would choose Verizon over another carrier. 

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